Review: Mother May I (by Joshilyn Jackson)

My Rating: 4 stars

My exposure to Joshilyn Jackson's works so far has been limited to her 2019 release Never Have I Ever, which I remember was a well-written, brilliantly plotted thriller that kept me guessing throughout.  I also remember, when I wrote my review for that book, how impressed I was that an accomplished author who is used to writing books in a particular genre, could venture into a whole different genre (one that isn't easy to succeed in, to boot) and do such a good job with it.  With her newest novel Mother May I, Jackson once again takes on the thriller / suspense genre, this time centering the story around another flawed female protagonist, Bree Cabbat, and her wealthy, privileged family.   Just like with Never Have I Ever, Jackson  incorporated elements into the story that reflected societal issues from the last couple years — for example, drug addiction and the opioid crisis, disparity between rich and poor, racism, wealth and privilege, the metoo movement, etc.  

As with all thriller / suspense novels, I recommend going in knowing as little as possible, so my review will be deliberately short and vague.  One thing I will say though is that I actually liked Jackson's previous thriller (Never Have I Ever) a tad better.  While this newest one (Mother May I) was just as well-written, I feel it wasn't as tightly plotted and enthralling — I was able to figure out most of the plot points relatively easily and guessed the ending early on too.  I also thought that parts of the plot came across a bit melodramatic, though not to the point that it affected my reading experience.  I also wasn't particularly fond of the characters either — Bree annoyed me quite a bit, especially with some of her actions in the last part of the story — but again, not to the point that it detracted from the story.

Jackson definitely knows how to tell a compelling story!  Even though I figured out most of the plot early on, the story was still engaging enough to keep me continuously turning the pages, only putting the book down once (and reluctantly at that) to tend to some urgent matters.  I ended up finishing this one in two sittings.  If you're looking for a well-written, suspenseful story that goes beyond being a "run-of-the-mill" thriller, then definitely pick this one up.  Do be warned though that triggers abound, especially as it relates to sex and some of the characters' actions / behaviors.  

Of course I can't wait for Jackson's next book (whether it will be a thriller or not) — while I wait, I need to find time to read her other works as well (though easier said than done given my schedule).

Received ARC from publisher (William Morrow) via NetGalley.